An Albany County correction officer tried earlier this month to blackmail the jail's former superintendent, saying he would release embarrassing pictures and correspondence connected to the retired jail administrator unless he used his influence to get the officer favorable treatment at the jail, the Albany County Sheriff's Office said.

Carlo Sorriento was arrested Tuesday for allegedly harassing and threatening the former superintendent repeatedly from the middle of July up until Monday. Court documents identify the man Sorriento harassed as Thomas Wigger, who served as the jail's superintendent from 2002 until his abrupt retirement in February.

Sorriento, Apple said, wanted Wigger to use his connections at the jail to land him preferred jobs. The 23-year-old veteran correction officer also allegedly demanded Wigger try to change the correction officers union contract to meet his liking.

"Bottom line is, he was trying to extort a former administrator," Apple said of Sorriento.

Sorriento was arrested Tuesday and charged with felony coercion and misdemeanor harassment and official misconduct. He was arraigned in Bethlehem Town Court and released after posting $10,000 bail.

Court documents say Sorriento tried to blackmail Wigger on multiple occasions between July 14 and July 29 at Wigger's Bethlehem home with text messages, phone calls and letters. Apple said the harassment became more intense as time wore on.

Neither Wigger nor Sorriento returned messages seeking comment.

Apple said Sorriento has been suspended without pay.

The sheriff said that whatever damaging photos or information Sorriento may have had on Wiggers was not connected to a gambling ring linked to the jail that was busted earlier this year.

In that case, two correction officers, Timothy Robillard and James Cerniglia, were charged in April with taking bets and making payouts as part of a nationwide gambling ring.

Wigger retired just as the investigation was intensifying, but court documents did not link Wigger to the case.

Apple was adamant that the threats Sorriento made to Wigger were not connected to the gambling ring. The sheriff said Sorriento claimed to have embarrassing personal information and details about other alleged misconduct at the jail.

"This had nothing to do with the gambling case," Apple said. "There is no nexus there."

Several Albany County jail officers have been arrested this year in unrelated cases.

In addition to Sorriento's, Cerniglia's and Robillard's arrests, Craig Strizzi, a 15-year veteran correction officer, was arrested for allegedly teaming up with two inmates to beat up a jailed sex offender. That incident was caught on tape. Charges against Strizzi are pending.